ORLANDO, Fla. – Orlando police arrested a man accused of attacking a crossing guard Thursday in Orange County, according to investigators.
Police said around 4:20 p.m. patrol units responded to the intersection of John Young Parkway and Harwood Street following an attack on an officer who was working as a crossing guard.
Investigators said the officer was sitting in his marked patrol vehicle when James Mossetty started banging on the officer’s car. The department said the officer asked for assistance over his radio and exited the patrol vehicle.
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The man attacked the officer and a fight ensued, according to police. Orlando Police Chief Orlando Rolon said the officer deployed a taser, which has two cartridges.
“If you have ever been hit with a taser, you know what that is like. It can incapacitate most people more often when you get hit with it. He was able to really just get it off of him,” Rolon said. “Then he continued to verbalize and he uses chemical spray. That did not work either. And then the fight was on.”
Once other officers arrived at the scene, Mossetty was taken into custody, according to investigators. Police said the officer was transported to the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries and was later released.
Body camera video released by the department shows officers telling Mossetty to get on the ground multiple times and resisting officers’ demands. When the officer deploys the taser, Mossetty is seen using his arms to remove it and approaching the officer as he is backing away.
Warning: Video below contains graphic language.
Rolon said Mossetty had nine felony arrests in the past and recently “battered an Orange County deputy.”
“He’s been arrested for multiple things. He’s been in our system. Somebody questioned, ‘Was he mentally fit to be out there?’” the chief said. “You know, what drives the person a normal person to approach a police vehicle start striking the vehicle and then fight officers. Again, I think there’s more questions than answers when it comes to situations like this.”
The police chief credited the body-worn cameras livestreaming capabilities that pushes through to the department’s crime center.
“They activated the camera to see what’s going on. That’s when they noticed that the officer actually hit the ground. They didn’t know that he was punched at the time. But so, immediately they upgraded the officers call for help to an immediate ‘send me everyone,’ but it was due to the fact that they could see what was going on live,” he said.
Mossetty was transported to a local hospital with minor injuries and is being charged with aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer, hindering communications and resisting officers with violence.